Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Thanksgiving. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
Thanksgiving is a very American holiday. It is also called Thanksgiving Day. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year. It used to be a religious holiday to give thanks to God. There are two versions of the origins of this holiday. One is thanks for the early settlers arriving in America safely. On December the 4th, 1619, a group of English pioneers arrived at a place called Berkeley Hundred, in Virginia. The group made a promise that the day of their arrival should be a "day of thanksgiving" to God. The second version is the thanks given to Native Americans for teaching the pilgrims how to catch eels and grow corn in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1941, President Roosevelt made Thanksgiving a federal holiday.
The main event of any Thanksgiving is the Thanksgiving dinner. It is traditional to have baked or roasted turkey. This is usually accompanied with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, fall vegetables, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Pumpkin pie is the most commonly eaten dessert. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest times of the year for traveling. It is a four-day or five-day weekend vacation for most schools and colleges, and many businesses and government workers get three or four days off. Thanksgiving is also the unofficial signal for Christmas preparations to begin. Once Thanksgiving finishes, stores fill their shelves with Christmas goods. It is also a bad time to be a turkey.
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.
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PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1
1.
a very American
a.
promise
2
the fourth Thursday
b.
to God
3.
to give thanks
c.
holiday
4.
made a
d.
corn
5.
how to
e.
in November
6.
grow
f.
catch eels
Paragraph 2
1.
The main
a.
eaten dessert
2
accompanied with
b.
days off
3.
the most commonly
c.
times
4.
one of the busiest
d.
event
5.
get three or four
e.
shelves
6.
stores fill their
f.
mashed potatoes
LISTENING GAP FILL
Thanksgiving is a very American holiday. ________________ Thanksgiving Day. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year. ________________ religious holiday to give thanks to God. There are two ________________ origins of this holiday. One is thanks for the early settlers arriving in America safely. On December the 4th, 1619, a group of English pioneers arrived ________________ Berkeley Hundred, in Virginia. The group made a promise that the ________________ should be a "day of thanksgiving" to God. The second version is ________________ to Native Americans for teaching the pilgrims how to catch eels and grow corn in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1941, President Roosevelt made Thanksgiving a federal holiday.
The ________________ Thanksgiving is the Thanksgiving dinner. It is traditional to have baked or roasted turkey. ________________ accompanied with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, fall vegetables, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Pumpkin pie is ________________ eaten dessert. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is ________________ times of the year for traveling. It is a four-day or five-day weekend vacation for most schools and colleges, and many businesses and government workers get three ________________. Thanksgiving is also the unofficial signal for Christmas preparations to begin. Once Thanksgiving finishes, stores fill their shelves with Christmas goods. It is also a ________________ turkey.
WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL
Put the words into the gaps in the text.
Thanksgiving is a very American holiday. It is also ____________ Thanksgiving Day. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year. It ____________ to be a religious holiday to give thanks to God. There are two ____________ of the origins of this holiday. One is thanks for the ____________ settlers arriving in America ____________. On December the 4th, 1619, a group of English pioneers arrived at a place called Berkeley Hundred, in Virginia. The group made a ____________ that the day of their arrival should be a "day of thanksgiving" to God. The second version is the thanks given to Native Americans for teaching the pilgrims how to ____________ eels and grow ____________ in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1941, President Roosevelt made Thanksgiving a federal holiday.
promise early called corn safely used catch versions
The main ____________ of any Thanksgiving is the Thanksgiving dinner. It is traditional to have baked or roasted turkey. This is ____________ accompanied with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, fall vegetables, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Pumpkin pie is the most ____________ eaten dessert. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the ____________ times of the year for traveling. It is a four-day or five-day weekend ____________ for most schools and colleges, and many businesses and government workers get three or four days off. Thanksgiving is also the unofficial ____________ for Christmas preparations to begin. Once Thanksgiving ____________, stores fill their ____________ with Christmas goods. It is also a bad time to be a turkey.
commonly signal busiest event shelves vacation usually finishes
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.
Thanksgiving is a very American holiday. It is also calling / called Thanksgiving Day. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year. It used to / used be a religious holiday to give thanks to God. There are two versions of the original / origins of this holiday. One is thanks for the early settlers arriving in America safely / safe. On December the 4th, 1619, a group of English pioneers arrived at a place called Berkeley Hundred, in Virginia. The group made / did a promise that the day of their / there arrival should be a "day of thanksgiving" to God. The second version / vision is the thanks given to Native Americans for teaching the pilgrims how to catch eels and grow corn in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1941, President Roosevelt made / gave Thanksgiving a federal holiday.
The main eventful / event of any Thanksgiving is the Thanksgiving dinner. It is traditional to have baked or roasted turkey. This is usually / usual accompanied with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, fell / fall vegetables, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Pumpkin pie is the most commonly eaten / eating dessert. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest times of the year from / for traveling. It is a four-day or five-day weekend vacation for most schools and colleges, and many businesses and government workers get three or four days over / off. Thanksgiving is also the unofficial signal for Christmas preparations to beginning / begin. Once Thanksgiving finishes, stores fill their shelves with Christmas goods. It is also a bad time to be a / in turkey.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Thanksgiving is a very American holiday. It is also (1) ____ Thanksgiving Day. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year. It used to be a (2) ____ holiday to give thanks to God. There are two versions of the origins of this holiday. One is thanks for the early (3) ____ arriving in America safely. On December the 4th, 1619, a group of English pioneers arrived at a place called Berkeley Hundred, in Virginia. The group made a promise that the day of their (4) ____ should be a "day of thanksgiving" to God. The second version is the thanks given to Native Americans for teaching the pilgrims how to (5) ____ eels and grow corn in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1941, President Roosevelt (6) ____ Thanksgiving a federal holiday.
The (7) ____ event of any Thanksgiving is the Thanksgiving dinner. It is traditional to have baked or roasted turkey. This is usually accompanied with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, (8) ____ vegetables, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Pumpkin pie is the most commonly (9) ____ dessert. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest times of the year for traveling. It is a four-day or five-day weekend vacation for most schools and colleges, and (10) ____ businesses and government workers get three or four days off. Thanksgiving is also the unofficial signal for Christmas preparations to (11) ____. Once Thanksgiving finishes, stores fill their (12) ____ with Christmas goods. It is also a bad time to be a turkey.
Put the correct words from this table into the article.
1.
(a)
called
(b)
calling
(c)
calls
(d)
call
2.
(a)
religion
(b)
religious
(c)
religiously
(d)
religions
3.
(a)
settlers
(b)
settles
(c)
settled
(d)
settlement
4.
(a)
arrives
(b)
arrived
(c)
arrival
(d)
arrival
5.
(a)
caught
(b)
catches
(c)
catch
(d)
catching
6.
(a)
took
(b)
made
(c)
did
(d)
had
7.
(a)
main
(b)
mainly
(c)
mainline
(d)
mains
8.
(a)
fell
(b)
falling
(c)
fall
(d)
fallen
9.
(a)
eating
(b)
eats
(c)
ate
(d)
eaten
10.
(a)
most
(b)
many
(c)
much
(d)
more
11.
(a)
beginning
(b)
begins
(c)
begin
(d)
began
12.
(a)
elves
(b)
delves
(c)
halves
(d)
shelves
SPELLING
Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
the uhftro Thursday in November
2.
a sliiuroge holiday
3.
the ngoirsi of this holiday
4.
arriving in America ysfeal
5.
made a oepisrm
6.
how to hactc eels
Paragraph 2
7.
The main tenve
8.
sweet pstoaeot
9.
the most moynomcl eaten dessert
10.
weekend aancotvi
11.
unofficial ilnsga
12.
fill their eshsevl
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
Native Americans for teaching the pilgrims how to catch eels and grow
( )
of the year for traveling. It is a four-day or five-day weekend vacation for most schools and
( 1 )
Thanksgiving is a very American holiday. It is also called Thanksgiving Day. It is celebrated on the
( )
The main event of any Thanksgiving is the Thanksgiving dinner. It is traditional to have baked or roasted
( )
fourth Thursday in November every year. It used to be a religious holiday to give thanks to God. There are two versions
( )
1619, a group of English pioneers arrived at a place called Berkeley Hundred, in Virginia. The group made a promise that the day
( )
turkey. This is usually accompanied with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, fall vegetables, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Pumpkin
( )
pie is the most commonly eaten dessert. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest times
( )
colleges, and many businesses and government workers get three or four days off. Thanksgiving is also
( )
corn in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1941, President Roosevelt made Thanksgiving a federal holiday.
( )
the unofficial signal for Christmas preparations to begin. Once Thanksgiving
( )
finishes, stores fill their shelves with Christmas goods. It is also a bad time to be a turkey.
( )
of the origins of this holiday. One is thanks for the early settlers arriving in America safely. On December the 4th,
( )
of their arrival should be a "day of thanksgiving" to God. The second version is the thanks given to
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
American is very holiday Thanksgiving a.
2.
a be to used It holiday religious.
3.
of origins the of Versions holiday this.
4.
The given Native thanks to Americans.
5.
to How corn grow and eels catch.
6.
traditional baked turkey is have roasted It to or.
7.
potatoes mashed with accompanied usually is This.
8.
the most Pumpkin commonly pie eaten is dessert.
9.
get off three or Government four workers days.
10.
Stores goods Christmas with shelves their fill.
DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Thanksgiving. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Thanksgiving. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. POSTER: Make your own poster about Thanksgiving. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
